IMAGE skincare Vital C Cleanser Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser

IMAGE skincare Vital C Cleanser Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser

This mild cream cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.

This gel cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isododecane

Cetearyl Olivate

Cetyl Alcohol

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Sorbitan Olivate

Limonene

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Decyl Glucoside

Glycereth-26

C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside

Glycerin

Xanthan Gum

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Retinyl Palmitate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Butylene Glycol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Yeast Polysaccharides

Sodium Hydroxide

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract

Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Tromethamine

Superoxide Dismutase

Phenoxyethanol

Eugenol

Water, Isododecane, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Limonene, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycereth-26, C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Yeast Polysaccharides, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Superoxide Dismutase, Phenoxyethanol, Eugenol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Sorbitol

Oryza Sativa Extract

Panthenol

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Amyl Cinnamal

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Symphytum Officinale Root Extract

Benzyl Alcohol

Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Butter Extract

Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract

Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Soybean Peroxidase

Potassium Sorbate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sorbitol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panthenol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Amyl Cinnamal, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Butter Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Soybean Peroxidase, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Decyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.

Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.

Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.

Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).

Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.

One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.

This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Superoxide Dismutase is found in all living cells. This ingredient is AKA as 'SOD'.

SOD is a strong antioxidant. It protects living cells against oxidative damage by breaking down radical molecules into regular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.

Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules that may damage your skin's DNA. This may help with the signs of aging. Due to its antioxidant property, it is used to help treat chronic inflammation.

In cosmetics, SOD is usually obtained from marine phytoplankton, bovine liver, horseradish, cantaloupe, and certain bacteria.

The three major families of SOD include: Copper/Zinc, Iron/Manganese, and Nickel.

When eating SOD-rich foods, our bodies break it down into amino acids before absorption. Foods that contain SOD include: melons, citrus, spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and blue-green algae.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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